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What was the Mexican-American War? |
Texas won its independence from Mexico to try and preserve slavery. After this, there was undisputed territory between the two countries. The United States had this idea of 'manifest destiny' and this meant that they believed they had a right to conquer the west as God wanted them to do so. James K. Polk, the President at this time was a firm believer in this and was looking for any reason really to attack his Mexican neighbors. There was a misconception on why and who began the fighting as the Mexicans saw it as the colonists were being unjust and the colonists saw it as the Mexicans attacking with no other reason. This began the Mexican-American war, the first foreign war for the United States not fought on their own land. With the ending of this war, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed. This treaty benefited the United States and left Mexico without a lot of land.
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